Cusco Peru is a city that is perfect for travelers. It is a jump-off point for excursions on the Inca Trail and to nearby Machu Picchu, as well as other places of interest in southern Peru, and the communal traveler feel here may be stronger than anywhere else in the world. Located at an altitude of over 11,000 feet in the heart of the Andes mountains, is the dynamic and historic city of Cusco Peru. Cusco, which is also spelled Cuzco, is the famed capital of the ancient Inca Empire, and it has served as a travelers’ mecca for hundreds of years. Though Cuzco Peru was the center of the Inca Empire for a relatively short time, relics and imprints from the great civilization remain to this day, melding into a modern world that seems unable to change the unique character of the city. When you visit Cusco, you feel as if you’ve been transported to another dimension of sorts. Perhaps that is partly due to the altitude’s effect on your body and mind. If you are flying here and haven’t yet adjusted to the Andes Mountains, prepare to spend the better part of your first day simply lounging around or lying in bed with altitude sickness. While that seems wholly uncharming, there are natural means by which to ease your symptoms.